Hannah Heim found herself at Kimberli’s Place Foundation after losing her father to suicide earlier this year.
“I knew that I could not handle my own grief,” she told Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis.
That’s where she said the Indian Trail nonprofit came in to provide a supportive community and some self care.
Kimberli’s Place offers mental health resources, aiming to bridge any gap in connecting people with the services they need at no cost. They also have a full service salon and massage trauma therapist on site.
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Heather Klaus started the foundation after losing her friend Kimberli to suicide five years ago.
“We have people that walk in that have had tragedy in their families, personal issues, substance abuse, trauma,” Klaus said. “It can be a range of just not feeling whole, right?”
She says Kimberli was a long-time educator who worked to ensure children of all abilities met their potential. Klaus saw what she was doing, and decided she wanted to continue that story and show the community that no matter their personal struggle, they’re not alone.
“I think that’s the other thing is people just may feel lonely and not supported, and she was so supported and didn’t realize it,” Klaus said. “That’s what we want for our clients and our community.”
Almost a year after her father’s death, Heim says she’s started a foundation in his honor focused on men’s mental health. She says it was Kimberli’s Place that helped get her through.
“I think that I’m finding new ways to make my grief meaningful,” she said.
Kimberli’s Place also serves as a storefront for local businesses selling goods. Once a month, they go into the trauma and rehab floor at Levine Children’s Hospital to provide self care, like haircuts, for patients and their families.
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